I told you there was more. While Konami hasn’t officially put the word out (I think we’re seeing a trend here), fans who pick up the game next week will be receiving an additional disc containing snippets from the soundtrack along with a digital artbook. We’ve seen similar gifts for past Suikoden releases, and the fact that I hadn’t heard anything until now had me wondering what was up.

So, is it as cool as the physical artbook and arrange CD that was shipped with Suikoden V? Well, it’s a different approach for sure. While I miss being able to put the disc in my CD player (the files are in mp3 format), they did an excellent job picking out and spotlighting some of the best tracks from the full-length 3-disc soundtrack.

It’s been a crazy couple of months for Suikoden fans. First there was the promo-only soundtrack, and then a confirmed stand-alone release. Then we were able to speak with Konami’s Norikazu Miura about the game’s soundtrack, and now it’s been announced that there will be another album released in Japan titled Genso Suikoden Tierkreis Extra Soundtrack featuring additional music from the game as well as arranged music by Elements Garden. And that’s not even all of it, as we already have more coverage planned for the coming weeks, but I would have nothing less for my favorite game series of all time.

We finally got our hands on the game’s 3-disc soundtrack which hit Japan last week. Is it everything we had hoped for? Did the outside contributions from composers like Masaharu Iwata and Yoshino Aoki (two composers that I’m quite fond of) make a difference? Well, I don’t want to spoil it, so you’re going to have to read the review.

Take a glimpse at what you’ll be listening to on your DS next month after the jump. (more…)

I’ve made known my adoration for the Suikoden series. The tightly-woven, highly political story often includes returning characters and locales that appeals to that strong sense of nostalgia that many of us have for our favorite game franchises. While it has been announced that Suikoden Tierkreis for the DS it taking a different direction, and will not be directly related to any other Suikoden title, I can’t help but be excited for the latest installment in my favorite game series.

Suikoden also has a strong tradition of audio excellence, starting with Miki Higashino and others at Konami. In recent years, Konami’s Norikazu Miura has taken the reins of the series, and joins us today to discuss his role as sound director for Suikoden Tierkreis, including his inspirations, the inclusion of freelance composers, and the soundtrack album that was included with the special edition set in Japan. There’s a lot of interesting details here for Suikoden fans, so please join me in thanking Konami and Norikazu Miura for their continued dedication to the Suikoden series and for their time coordinating this interview.

A lot of us were disappointed about the lack of a stand-alone soundtrack release for Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia, and when it was announced that the Suikoden Tierkreis soundtrack was also being bundled with a special edition version of the game in Japan, many of us feared that this was the beginning of the end for Konami soundtrack releases. Well, put those fears aside, as we’ve received confirmation that there will be a Suikoden Tierkreis soundtrack release separate from the special set.

We recently got a word in with Konami composer Norikazu Miura, who had this to say about the soundtrack bundling issue:

I personally don’t like bundling a soundtrack CD with a game. If it’s possible, I’d like users to play a game and the people who liked the music to buy its soundtrack CD. In Japan, we are planning to release a stand-alone soundtrack CD on February 20th. I think it may be a little too early to rule out a standalone soundtrack in other territories so we will have to wait and see how the soundtrack is handled outside of Japan.

Good news, right? I’m sure excited about it. Watch for more news regarding the game’s music as the Japanese release date of December 18, 2008 approaches, and check out the sweet samples over at the Konami Japan website.

Are you looking forward to the Suikoden Tierkreis soundtrack featuring Norikazu Miura, Masaharu Iwata, and Yoshino Aoki? Are you relieved to hear there will be a separate stand-alone release?

Anyone who knows me is well aware that I am completely obsessed with the Genso Suikoden series, with the first installment being my favorite game of all time. It’s been a couple years since fans were graced with a new Suikoden title, and Suikoden V on the PS2 was an amazing experience that left many hungry for more.

Well, here it is. Konami has announced that Genso Suikoden Tierkreis is nearly 50% complete and will be released on the Nintendo DS. The plot sounds amazing, although some of the gameplay elements sound like a backslide to the terribleness that was Suikoden IV. Composer Norikazu Mirua has stated on his blog that he is involved with the title, which is good news for those who enjoyed his music in Suikoden IV, Suikoden V, and Suikoden Tactics. I know I’m excited! We’ll let you know when more details regarding the soundtrack become available.

Any hardcore Suikoden fans out there who have been waiting for a Suikoden game regardless of the platform it’s released on? Have you been following Miura’s work, and is he an acceptable replacement for original Suikoden composer Miki Higashino?

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